Why Do Demons in this Game Have Monstrous Appearances?
General forum
Posted on Sept. 28, 2020, 4:48 p.m. by DemonDragonJ
I dislike how demons in this game always have such monstrous appearances; if angels are attractive, why are demons not, as well? Why is WotC reinforcing the idea that beauty equals goodness and ugliness is evil? I would like to see attractive demons, to break away from such an outdated stereotype.
What does everyone else say about this? Why do demons in this game have monstrous appearances?
EleshNornsFs says... #3
If you want a good example of evil looking attractive in the game, look at vampires. It isn't about associations of good and beautiful, evil and ugly. It's simply the classic fantasy portrayals.
September 28, 2020 4:59 p.m.
You can fuck any of the demons if you arent a coward
September 28, 2020 5:29 p.m.
Most fantasy settings have male-appearing Angels as well, but in Magic they're 100% female. I think it's purely an aesthetic choice on the demons. I could easily see a plane where the demons look more humanoid though. Perhaps some like Jedah from Darkstalkers/Vampire Savior, or straight-up humanoid ones like succubi and incubi.
September 28, 2020 6:27 p.m.
VampDemigod says... #6
Oh yeah. We need a hot demons, male AND female angels set. No one is going to make the wrong assumptions about mtg if we do that.
September 28, 2020 9:13 p.m.
DragonSliver9001 says... #7
because demons are always bestial and ugly in any form of game or media. attractive demons are basically limited to succubus and incubus which is only 1 species of demon.
but rosewater is a pansy who doesn't want to allow "cheesecake art" so until we're fortunate enough to replace him we won't be getting any attractive demons.
September 28, 2020 11:06 p.m.
DragonSliver9001 says... #8
Optimator: Malach of the Dawn is definitely male. and amonkhet is described as a plane with male angels.
September 28, 2020 11:11 p.m.
I don't know that this is a WOTC reinforced idea per se. When Wizards reaches out to artists for a new set, they ask them how many cards they are willing to do. They will send the artist some basic details and the card names without being too spoilery on each card assigned. The artists then base their renderings off that info and submit the card art. Sounds more like it's artist interpretation that leads to demons always being monsters rather than sneaking an attractive one through every so often but this is just based off my asking an artist how the process works. There could be more involved in terms of approval and re-work
September 29, 2020 8:35 a.m.
VampDemigod says... #10
I looked through all angels, and found 5 where their sex is unclear, and 1 that has significantly male characteristics.
September 29, 2020 9:39 a.m.
I was of the understanding that the angels and demons in MTG are pure manifestations of the plane to create balance. They're not born - there's no angel or demon families with children - they are created from mana.
Maybe the demons are ugly because they're formed by the ugliest places of the planes?
Correct me if I'm wrong but I remember it being a thing in the second Innistrad set with the angels being corrupted by Emrakul and how Sorin created Avacyn etc
Plus that's why demons and angels can't become planeswalkers since they're bound to the plane itself.
September 29, 2020 12:16 p.m.
Feel like naming said Angels? I'd be curious to see
September 29, 2020 3:57 p.m.
Also, I find it kind of telling the one very clearly male angel is in Planar Chaos ;)
September 29, 2020 3:59 p.m.
greyninja:Ob Nixilis, Unshackled, Ob Nixilis Reignited. definitely both a 'walker and a demon...
September 29, 2020 7:30 p.m.
MindAblaze says... #16
Kiran_M Ob was a human walker before he became a demon Ob Nixilis of the Black Oath
September 29, 2020 8:46 p.m.
MindAblaze says... #17
Guardian Seraph is pretty male looking to me, however that’s just my perspective.
Also, to speak to the OP, I think the art direction point brought up is valid. Unless the artist was specifically directed to make them blend in, my assumption would be WoTC would want them to look intimidating and they tend to have lesser demons with plane specific appearances (Amonkhet again is a good example.) This is probably to do with demons being creations of the mana from the plane as was brought up.
September 29, 2020 8:51 p.m.
golgarigirl says... #18
On Dominaria, at least, I always assumed the angels were pretty females because they were made (for the most part) by and in Serra the Benevolent's image...a pretty female. I guess most other planes followed suit simply because we spent, still, the vast majority of Magic's history on Dominaria and people decided to follow suit.
For Malach of the Dawn, I actually got a chance to ask the artist why he went with not only a male, but a man of color for the angel (both elements in contrast to most angel designs thus far). He said that Wizards gave him a lot of freedom for the design, since it was a generic angel and not a named character. And it's what he just felt like doing at the time.
Demons are often monstrous because horns, fangs, and claws are an easy visual representation of corruption/twisting of virtue, which is what they are usually metaphors for (classically speaking). And that traditionally means 'evil'.
September 30, 2020 11:42 a.m. Edited.
DragonSliver9001 says... #19
greyninja: ob nixilis is both a planeswalker and a demon...
September 30, 2020 12:25 p.m.
DragonSliver9001 says... #20
Mind Ablaze: the flavor text in Guardian Seraph says its a she.
Optimator: i'd say being in planar chaos is pretty irrelevant. planar chaos was a color pie break, not a break in how creature types are portrayed.
September 30, 2020 12:30 p.m.
DarkMagician says... #21
DragonSliver9001 as previously pointed out Ob was a planeswalker that became a demon, not the other way around. DemonDragonJ The idea being enforced isn't that ugly is bad and beauty is good but rather that evil is ugly and good is beautiful. You're reading entirely to deep into this in order to come to the conclusion that you've arrived at in my opinion.
September 30, 2020 1:49 p.m.
DragonSliver9001 says... #23
DarkMagician the point being that if a demon can't become a planeswalker, then a planeswalker either wouldn't be able to become a demon, or the planeswalker would lose their spark upon becoming a demon.
September 30, 2020 11:54 p.m.
TheRealSpecialK says... #24
DragonSliver9001 While that has logic behind it, it is not true. Demons and angels are being of mana. They are tied to the plane that the mana that constitutes them comes from. Ob was a Human who was cursed. He is not a being of mana, but rather a Human with a curse that causes him to be a demon, and as such, he isn't tied to a plane the same way other demons are. Even though he is a demon, his very nature and identity will always be different than all other demons. That is why demons can not become planeswalkers, but planeswalkers can become demons
October 6, 2020 4:13 p.m.
EleshNornsFs says... #25
Ob Nixilis did indeed lose his spark when he became a demon, trapping him on Zendikar. I forget how he regains it to become Ob Nixilis Reignited.
EleshNornsFs says... #2
Idk, Griselbrand be kinda hot though.
Realistically, it's because demons are monstrosities in this game. They are hulking, shadowy, horned, fanged, cursed monstrosities. They aren't saying that ugly is bad. They are saying demons look fearsome.
September 28, 2020 4:55 p.m.